Rubrail replacement

[cawinter]

I searched the archives to see what a nice rubrail replacement would be. I tore off or severly bent about 25-30ft during the recent collision with the Hunter45 during the storm. PS doesn't carry the Aluminum replacement anymore, and I'm thinking of going with a new TACO METAL rail all around. Steve C.'s emails were interesting but he had no type/manufacturer for his plastic/SS rail. Any other recommendations?

I am looking for a fairly wide and thick rail which will hold up well with the students I take out. TACO has about everything one could think of.

Thanks.

 

[Shadowfax]

Rub Rail

Chris,

PS might not carry it anymore [I doubt they carry anything Ericson anymore], but I think that profile is still made. I replaced some awhile back and did not get it from PS and it matched. If you want I'll see if I can find out where I got it, but I'm sure a Google search would turn it up before I found that old paper work.

 

[Shadowfax]

Follow Up

I'd bet dollars to donuts that Tom Metzger knows who makes the rub rail

 

[Richard Elliott]

Rub Rail

A friend lost about 15 feet of rail and contacted Pacific Seacraft. He was told that they still have the extrusion dies and will schedule a production run when they get enough orders. He only had to wait about two weeks.

 

[cawinter]

I'll poke around some more

Paul, thanks for the note. If you find something, great. Since I have to replace in excess of 28ft, I will be pitching a complete replacement to the insurance company. Let's see what happens. One can always try.

TACO seems to have some very sturdy profiles in their product line.

 

[Geoff Johnson]

I am very interested in this having just lost half the rubrail on one side in the same storm.

 

[Tom Metzger]

I'd bet dollars to donuts that Tom Metzger knows who makes the rub rail

Paul loses again. I don't have a clue. I would be inclined to ask PSC where it came from as it doesn't look like what Taco sells. PSC does have a picture of it.

Chris - Which Taco style are you looking at?

 

[cawinter]

Taco

...and I lost, too.

No specific extrusion yet. I just got back from the yard, and the BoatUS surveyor agrees with total replacement. For the estimate I put in around $170/12ft section. There are indeed lots of profiles to choose from, and many of them might work fine. Once I saw off a section I want to determine the degree of assymmetry of the profile, i.e., how much the lower part can overhang without the rail being skewed. Some extrusions are quite symmetrical (for vertical hull sides) while others are shaped to accomodate the angle with which the hull side receeds. Difficult to describe in words.

Looks like Geoff and I are in the same boat, and we'll have this all documented by the time it is done.

In the meantime, any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Jeff Asbury]

Free Rub Rail sections.

This may not help but I thought I would mention that I have a surplus of about one 26 1/2 foot length of the rubber insert from my E-27. I also have about a 6 foot length of the rubber insert. The reason was that when I bought it from PSC it only came in 40 foot lengths. I also have about a 6 or 8 foot length of the plastic extrusion. I have tried to unload this stuff at marine surplus shops and they weren't interested, so it's free to who ever wants to pay the shipping.

It's just been sitting in my garage for about 4 years now. Who knows I may regret getting rid of it some day if I ever get in a accident, but somebody out there may need it more that I do. See Pics!

 

[cawinter]

Update on TACO

Thanks, Jeff. I'd like to go back to the Aluminum rail w/o insert. Has worked great (until recently).

TACO apparently is only able to deliver sections in the 12 and 20 ft lengths they have on their site. They are also 'unable' to deliver the 8" centers that I have on my E34. They only have 6". Bummer.

Here is the email from them:
-------------------
Our rub rails only come in the lengths and hole spacing indicated. Aluminum rub rails are butted together. Since aluminum does not shrink, they will not develop gaps. You can order them from either Port Supply or MESCO.
Hank Ingenito
Technical Advisor for TACO Marine
-------------------

 

[Jeff Asbury]

surplus rub rails hve already been given away.

My surplus rub rails hve already been given away.

Jeff

 

[Geoff Johnson]

Chris, it's decision time regarding the replacement of my rubrail. Did you end up going with the Taco with its short lengths or did you find something better?

 

[cawinter]

Status

Geoff,
No decision yet. I pulled off the old rubrail and cleaned off all the caulking. The hull/deck joint had some cracks from torn-out screws. I have cleaned everthing up and will fill cracks and old screw holes w/ 5200 as soon as it warms up. I also want to spread a bead along the entire length of the seam to make sure nothing can get to it. Filling up the extrusion like they did originally seems overkill. BTW, I attached some pictures of the old caulk for everyone's amusement. It has the consistency from chalk to old playdo. Probably quite useless and just a trap for mold and moisture.

I have obtained a sample ring from TACO. The only two that I liked were the solid Al extrusion and a large Al one w/ insert. Both bottom out about 1.5ft from the aft end. I can provide the part numbers once I get back to the boat. No success on 8" centers or longer sections. I tried through a number of channels.

I did call an old friend at Sailing Specialties in Mystic to see if Jeff Marshall knows a source for the old extrusion. No feedback yet. PS had categorically told me that they don't stock it anymore.

The boat is out of the water, and I am taking my time to decide.

 

[George Foose]

Ericson Rub Rail

I too need a new rub rail replacement for my PSC Ericson 38-200 #17. I am wondering what solutions were found as I need to source and ship to Bangkok urgently.

Last week while participating in the Phuket King's Cup Regatta we had an enexperienced sport boat starboard tack us just as we were going through a gate set using a Thai navy frigate. We luffed to avoid the sport boat but in the process snagged the frigates anchor line an the rest is expensive bad luck.

In addition to the rub rail I lost the boom and both port side entry stansions and a standard life line stansion.

Thanks

george

 

[wanderer]

sorry for your misfortunes in the regatta. me personally, i would have taken my chances with the sport boat.

 

[cawinter]

Correction

I need to correct my statement from earlier:
"I have obtained a sample ring from TACO. The only two that I liked were the solid Al extrusion and a large Al one w/ insert. Both bottom out about 1.5ft from the aft end."

The hull-deck joint lip is sticking out too far only on the aft-most ~2 ft on the stbd side. In all other places the rubrails I talked about should be fine. I will grind down the lip on those 2ft enough for the rubrail not to rest on it. BTW, the cleanup of the old caulk is a bear. I have the joint itself cleaned up (note: I found two NAILS driven that someone had drivcen into it) but the gunk above and below require dilligent heatgun-and-scrape over 2*35ft... I beveled the old screw holes and a few others that I found and cleaned out the (hopefully superficial) cracks when the other boat tore out the screws. Plan is still to go with the 5200 seam.

 

[cawinter]

sailing specialties

Geoff,

I spent two days up in Mystic and stopped by Sailing Specialties to see in person whether they had any info on the elusive rubrail. I spoke to one of their brokers, and the only thing he could tell me was that they dumped much of what was left 'Ericson', and he didn't think they had anything left. I (again) left my phone number just in case.

Any update on your end? I guess we still have time but then again...

 

[Mike Thomas]

Slight diversion: Bow Extrusion

All:

Does anyone know of a source for the bow extrusion that is on some of the mid 70s vintage?

Mike T

Now back to our regularly scheduled posing....

 

[Glyn Judson]

Replacement bow extrusions.

Mike, Back in the early '90's Pacific Seacraft arranged to borrow the bow and stern quarter aluminum castings from my 1979 E25+ as patterns so as to begin reproducing them in fiberglass and I know that many other Ericsons of the era had the same bow piece. I don't know if they still have fiberglass ones instock or if they're making them on an as needed basis but it might be worth a call to find out. Good luck, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

 

[Brisdon]

I got new rub rail from PS in 2001. I also got the rear end caps which they had cast from fiberglass to replace the old original aluminum ones. The rails for a 35 ft boat were about 40 feet long, so I had to go pick them up. I don't know if they still can get them, they should be helpfull though.